Probe card

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a probe card. A module cap, on the probe card substrate, is designed to have a chute and the probe module can be installed on or uninstalled from the module cap via the chute. That simplifies the operations of assembling and disassembling the probe card and avoids positioning error.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a probe card and especially that is easy to be assembled and disassembled.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A probe card is used to carry a probe or probes and the probe(s) can contact electrodes of the circuit on wafer (or die electrode). In probing, the probe card is driven to scan inspecting areas on the wafer to check the electrical conduction quality. FIGS. 1A and 1B show a conventional probe card. A probe module is fixed on a substrate and the probe(s) of the probe module will pass a through hole of the substrate to check conduction quality for circuits of the semiconductor on the wafer.

In probing, the requirements of the positioning and the leveling are very strict, and that depends on the precise operation of assembling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention proposes a structure for the probe card to simply the assembling and disassembling and to reduce the manipulation deviation.

A probe card comprises a card substrate with a through hole, a cap base on the card substrate and a module cap. The module cap rotatably links with the cap base. The module cap comprises one chute at least and a probe module can be installed on and uninstalled from the module cap via the chute(s). In probing, the module cap will be closed and locked, and the head of the probe module can pass the through hole of the card substrate to inspect circuit of the chip.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are respectively a top view and a bottom view of a conventional probe card.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are respectively a top view and a bottom view of a probe module, one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3A-3E show the process of assembling the probe card, one embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following embodiments and the diagrams are intended to illustrate the spirit of the present invention to person having ordinary skilled in the art to be clearly understand the technology of the present invention, but are not intended to limit its scope, as defined by the claims. It is emphasized that the diagrams are for illustration only, and do not represent the actual size or quantity of components, and some details may not be fully drawn for the sake of simplicity of the diagrams.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are respectively a top view and a bottom view of a probe module 30 according to the present invention. The probe module 30 can be assembled with or disassembled from a probe card. The probe module 30 comprises a module substrate 31, a head 33 and a cover 34. The head 33 is disposed on the module substrate 31 and electrically connected via a conductive connector 32. The conductive connector 32 is elastic, such as a spring pin, an elastic pin or a flexible pin. The head 33 comprises at least one probe pin to inspect an inspecting area(s) on a wafer. In one embodiment, the head 33 is designed to have a chute, and the cover 34 can be slide into the chute. In probing, the cover 34 will be removed to expose the head for inspecting, and in preserving, the cover 34 can be used to cover the head 33 to avoid being suffered from the moisture and dust.

The module substrate 31 can be equipped with one level calibrating component at least. In one embodiment, three level calibrating components are used and disposed on the module substrate 31 beside its three edges respectively. The level calibrating component is used to assure the probe module level in any installation and uninstallation.

FIG. 3A-3E show the process of assembling the probe module. FIG. 3A shows uninstalled status. The probe card comprises a card substrate 11 with a through hole 12, a module cap 22 a connected rotatably with a cap base 21 on the card substrate 11. In FIG. 3A, the module cap 22 is opened with an angle and the angle is rotatable and the angle rang is from 0 to 90 degree.

The cap base 21 and the module cap 22 could be metal. The cap base cap 21 is fixed on the card substrate 11 by screwing or bolt. The module cap 22 can be closed and locked on the card substrate 11 by magnetic extraction, buckle fastener or screw bolt, such as a latch structure 25 in the shown embodiment and the latch structure 25 is at the opposite edge of the cap base 21.

FIGS. 3B, 3C and 3D show the assembling process. The internal side of the module cap 22 comprises the chute 24 at both edges, and the probe module 30 could slide into the chute 24 to be installed on the module cap 22, or the probe module slides out from the chute 24 in uninstalling. In one embodiment, a buckle structure (not shown) is disposed on the module substrate 31, a joint structure (not shown) is disposed on the chute 24 and the buckle can combine with the joint structure to position the probe module 10. After installing the probe module 30, the cover 34 can be removed out to expose the head 33.

In the shown embodiment, the module substrate 31 is rectangle and the chute 24 is made to be able to fasten tightly the module substrate 31. Therefore, the chute 24 simplifies the operations of assembling, disassembling and positioning the probe module 30 for the operator and reduce the positioning error.

FIG. 3E shows the installation status. The module cap 22 is covered and the head 33 passes the through hole 12 to protrude from the card substrate 11. Therefore, the probe pin(s) of the head 33 is able to contact and electrically connect the inspecting area(s) on a wafer under the probe card. A lock structure 23 is disposed on the module cap 22 and the lock structure can combine with a latch structure 25 on the card substrate 11. After assembling the probe card, a probing process for electrical quality inspection can start.

After probing, the reverse process of assembling the probe card can disassemble the probe module 30 from the probe card. The cover 34 can be re-covered to preserve the probe module 10. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A probe card, comprising: a probe module; a card substrate with a through hole; a cap base on the card substrate; and a module cap connected rotatably with the cap base, wherein the module cap comprises at least one module chute, the probe module can be assembled with and disassembled from the module cap via the module chute, and the probe module can protrude from the probe card via the through hole after closing the module cap.
 2. A probe card of claim 1, wherein the probe module comprises: a head; a module substrate configured to carry the head; and a conductive connector configured to electrically connect the head and the module substrate.
 3. A probe card of claim 2, wherein the conductive connector is an elastic connector.
 4. A probe card of claim 3, wherein the elastic connector comprises at least one spring pin, one elastic pin or one flexible pin.
 5. A probe card of claim 2, wherein the probe module further comprises a head cover configured to cover the head when is assembled.
 6. A probe card of claim 1, wherein the module cap connect rotatably with a cap base with a rotation angle and the rotation angle range is from 0 to 90 degree.
 7. A probe card of claim 1, wherein the probe module further comprises a buckle structure, the module cap further comprises a joint at the module chute, and the buckle structure can combine with the joint to lock the probe module to assure the positioning.
 8. A probe card of claim 1, wherein the probe module further comprises at least one level calibrating component to assure the leveling.
 9. A probe card of claim 1, wherein the module cap comprises a lock component, the card substrate comprises a latch component, and the lock component can combine tightly with the latch component when the module cap is closed. 